1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a photofinishing system for processing and printing photographic films. More particularly, the present invention relates to a photofinishing system wherein different types of photographic films are individually wound into preservation cartridges after development. The preservation cartridges are adapted to printing any type of photographic film in the same printer.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is well known in photofinishing systems to record various photographic data, such as print magnification data, during photographing or after development, on a transparent magnetic recording layer provided on the rear surface of a photographic film opposite to the photosensitive surface. These systems automatically make appropriate prints with reference to this print data. (For example, U.S. patent application No. 07/757,353, filed on Sep. 10, 1991; Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication Nos. 62-103625, 62-208028, 1-279231, 1-289948). Conventional photographic films are cut into pieces, each containing several frames, e.g., six frames, after development and printing. If such a photo-graphic film having a magnetic recording layer, is cut into pieces in the conventional manner, the magnetic recording layer may be divided so as to render the data unreadable. In order to avoid such damage to data recorded on a film, a film cartridge for holding the film after development, in the form of a roll therein, without the need for cutting the film has been proposed (Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 1-279250).
Also, a new type of film cartridge has been developed from which the film leader car be propelled outside of the cartridge by rotating the spool thereof. Such a film cassette is smaller than the conventional 135-type film cartridge (U.S. patent application Nos. 07/650,350 and 07/739,374 filed respectively on Feb. 4, 1991 and Aug. 2, 1991). Due to the film leader propelling function, this new type film cartridge can be reused for holding a developed or printed film in the form of a roll. Rewinding a film after development into the emptied cartridge from which the same, or another film, has been pulled out is desirable because it reduces industrial waste.
However, because many widely used films, such as 135-type films, have no film leader propelling function or magnetic recording layer, when the new type film cartridges are brought to the market, photofinishers will have to deal with both conventional and new types of films. Therefore, it would be desirable to process both types of films efficiently with the same machinery and at a low cost.